butterfly — Page 15

Flora and Fauna Edition

August 12, 2014 at 8:26 am by Claudia

Yesterday, I was walking Scoutie on the property. As I headed around the corner of the porch, I saw the most gorgeous Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. He was on one of the blooms on the butterfly bush, wings fully spread, quite still.

No camera.

So I tried to hurry Scout along as best I could so I could get her back in the house and grab my camera. I managed to get back there with the camera, but the butterfly had changed positions. He moved around a lot more and I could never quite capture that stillness he had when I first saw him. I think he sensed my presence.

swallowtail 1

I followed him around the property. Here he is on the phlox. But the images are a bit blurry because his wings were moving. This will give you an idea of his size and his beauty.

swallowtail 2

I rather like this photo. Wings in Motion.

But oh, if I had the camera with me when I was walking Scout, what a picture that would have made!

hummingbirdmoth 1

Then there’s my pal, the Hummingbird Moth. He’s everywhere: the phlox, the butterfly bush, the hanging plants. He moves very quickly.

hummingbirdmoth 2

This morning I opened the door to let Scout out and thought I saw something, but couldn’t be sure.

I grabbed my camera.

first morning glory

I was shocked. The morning glories have been growing very slowly this year. Some of the shoots haven’t even reached the fence yet and the vines have yet to really take off. I didn’t expect anything out of it until at least the end of the month.

So this was a delightful surprise!

first morning glory 2

August 12, 2014: The first morning glory bloom of the season.

And you know I love my morning glories.

We’re due for rain today and tomorrow. We really need it as it’s been very dry here lately. But I hope it holds off for a while so I can try to find that darn butterfly again!

On another note.

I’m heartbroken by the tragic death of Robin Williams. His talent and heart were enormous. Many of you have either struggled with depression or watched someone you love struggle with it. It is very, very real. I’ve lost friends to suicide, friends who saw no way out, who couldn’t summon another possibility in that one moment in time. To try and understand the death-grip of depression from a rational point of view is pointless. All rationality goes out the window. What is needed is compassion. I pray that those who suffer from depression and who feel lost will reach out for help. We need to erase the stigma that surrounds depression. It’s an illness. As is addiction.

Such, such sadness this morning.

Happy Tuesday.

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Gravity, Leaves and Butterflies

October 14, 2013 at 9:07 am by Claudia

Yesterday, on a whim, we went to the movies. We never go out to the movies; it’s usually too expensive for us. But we wanted to see Gravity in 3D and the matinees at our local movie theater are pretty reasonably priced.

watermark3dwe

3D glasses? Check.

Oh my goodness, if you can go see Gravity, do! It is an amazing film and should be seen on the big screen, preferably in 3D. I don’t know if I’d ever seen a movie in 3D before this; if I did, it was long ago. We were on the edge of our seats throughout the movie – it’s truly incredible. Sandra Bullock is wonderful, as is George Clooney. But Bullock dominates, simply because she is most every frame of the movie. Go. You’ll love it.

Another round of raking awaited us when we arrived back at the cottage. Scoutie came out and joined us as we raked up piles of leaves and moved them on to our trusty tarp and hauled them up to the woods. Scout, by the way, is completely back to normal. She’s eating well, loping down the corral hill, barking when she wants something, pouncing, spinning, and being her silly self. We are so grateful.

While I was up in the back forty, I noticed that the milkweed pods had burst open:

milkweed

Each burst pod is unique and sort of magical. Go ahead, spread those seeds! We want more here because they bring little wonders like this one, who made an appearance yesterday.

monarch2

monarch3

monarch4

monarch5

monarch6

monarch1

You must be patient when trying to take pictures of a Monarch Butterfly. You have to move stealthily; better yet, stay still and hold your breath. If it senses your presence, off it will fly, swooping, circling, soaring. That in itself is a beautiful sight to behold. But when it lands on a zinnia and decides to hang around for a while, well, that is simply a wondrous gift from Mother Nature.

Happy Monday.

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Butterflies, Flowers & Scout

October 2, 2013 at 9:22 am by Claudia

monarch2

I saw my first Monarch Butterfly yesterday. We have a lot of milkweed around here, so there well may have been more of them flying around during my time away. But I have seen less and less of them each season, so I was thrilled to catch a glimpse of this beauty flitting from zinnia to zinnia. The first time I saw her I was outside with Scout and didn’t have a camera. The second time, I was able to run into the house and grab my older camera with the zoom lens.

Aren’t butterflies supposed to symbolize transformation? Good, because we can use some around here with our little Scout. She continues to have a hard time recovering and we continue to be concerned. She was nauseous yesterday and has been since she came home, so we took her back to the vet for some fluids and a shot of anti-nausea medicine. She also got a shot of penicillin, so that we don’t have to try to get her to take a pill for a couple of days. She hasn’t eaten much at all, she’s lost 4 pounds, and her breathing is labored. She has allergies and her breathing has become a bit raspier as she has aged, so some of it we weren’t worried about, but it’s worse now and she sometimes moans. We can’t always tell whether she’s moaning because she’s in pain or because her stomach is upset.

She’s walking around just fine and the doctor says her eyes and color look good. But yesterday, late in the afternoon, she seemed worse and I didn’t know what to do. We monitored her and eventually phoned the doctor who was on call to talk about her breathing. Of course, the minute we made the call and started discussing whether we should bring her in again, she started to sleep somewhat peacefully. So we decided to wait and she how she is today. I slept downstairs with her last night. The sofa in the den is pretty comfortable. She’s sleeping a lot, which is a good thing.

She’s been through so much and she’s a senior dog, so I expect her recovery might be longer and harder. She isn’t snapping back as quickly as she used to. It’s all very worrisome. It’s all I think about.

I came home on Saturday and she’s been to the vet every day since then. I just want her to get stronger and eat something because she needs the strength. She still needs your prayers, my friends.

Not much else to report here. The weather has been beautiful and warmer than usual. Sunny skies and golden light.

yellowzinnia

Thankful for zinnias that bloom at this time of year.

zinnia&morningglory

And the morning glories that nestle alongside of them.

Happy Wednesday.

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Flora and Fauna Edition

Gravity, Leaves and Butterflies

Butterflies, Flowers & Scout

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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